SOS Africa’s Aftercare Centre in Mafikeng has taken on a fresh new look this week, thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of children from Mabs Cross Primary School in Wigan. Until recently, the younger children attending our Aftercare Centre in Mafikeng have all shared communal desks during homework and extra lessons. As you can imagine, at times this has made it difficult for the more excitable and energetic among our children to concentrate!

At the start of the year, staff from Mabs Cross Primary School contacted SOS Africa because their students wanted to make a lasting difference to the lives of children less fortunate in South Africa. After a brief discussion about the desk shortages, staff and students from Mabs Cross embarked upon a quest to raise enough funds to provide individual desks for each child attending our centre.

To achieve this, each Mabs Cross student took part in a 1km sponsored walk around the school grounds, representing the distance some children in South Africa walk to get to school each day. These children also took it in turns to carry buckets of water, simulating one of the daily chores of an SOS Africa child. To raise funds and as part of a creative writing challenge, the children each composed a letter to their parents explaining that they were going to participate in a sponsored event to raise money for SOS Africa. They explained what the charity did and described the life of the children the charity helps.

After the final kilometre was completed and the last sponsorship collected, the children raised a formidable £640; enough to provide individual desks for all of the SOS Africa children in Mafikeng. Last week, these desks were installed and the SOS Africa staff and children were delighted with the outcome – we have already seen that each child is taking a huge amount of pride in looking after their desk.

We would like to say a big thank you to Sharron Thompson, Tessa Lockett and the children of Mabs Cross Primary School for a fantastic fundraising effort; your dedication will make a lasting difference to our current children and the many passing through our Mafikeng Aftercare Centre over the years to come.

Have you been searching for swift justice against a crime you deem worthy of incarceration? Do you know of a guilty individual who has yet to have their day in court? Whether it is the friend who is always the last to buy a round, the colleague who always manages to avoid the Christmas Day shift or the roommate who just won't stop snoring or if you are simply desperate for 24 hours peace and quiet, look no further, justice is about to be served...

Courtesy of City & Country, for the first and only time, SOS Africa is empowering 200 lucky individuals with the authority to "nominate an inmate" of their choice and sentence them to 24 hours imprisonment in HMP Shepton Mallet this October. In return for these judicial powers we ask that each nominee raise £240 - a year's tuition for an SOS Africa child. Whether pupils nominate head teachers, students nominate their lecturers, constituents nominate their councillors/MPs or sports teams nominate their coaches, we are willing consider all requests. Until its closure in 2013, the oldest operational prison in the UK famously known as Cornhill or "The Glass House Prison", hosted some of the nation's most notorious criminals including The Kray Twins, Charlie Robinson and 19th Century baby killer Amelia Dyer. The prison also has a fascinating history; built in 1610, underneath its 75ft walls are buried the bodies of 7 individuals executed between 1889 and 1926. During the World War 2 it was adopted as a military prison by the allies, and 18 American soldiers were executed for defecting. During the same period the facility protected 10,000 boxes of national valuables including The Domesday Book, The Magna Carter and the log book from Nelson's Flagship. This unique event will take place from 12pm on Saturday 10th October to 12pm Sunday 11th October and from 12pm on Saturday 17th October to 12pm Sunday 18th October. The prison officers running the event will be none other than SOS Africa's fiercest volunteers.

If you wish to "Nominate an Inmate", please email the following information to info@sosafrica.com...

Your name, email, postal address and telephone number The inmate's name and a portrait photograph (the more embarrassing the better) Why they are being sentenced, e.g. "Too much self-promotion on Facebook" A £20 deposit to be posted to SOS Africa, 21 High Street, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5AA – this will cover the inmates prison clothing and food and ensure that 100% of the funds raised will be invested in the children we support.

We will then…

Register your nominated inmate Set up your online fundraising page (and email sponsorship forms if requested) Send you a consent form (to be filled out by the inmate and returned)

In order to successfully nominate their inmate, each nominee must raise £240 before the event takes place. If successful the event will raise a minimum of 200 years of education, enough to pay for the tuition fees of 16 children from Grade 1 right through to Grade 12! This will enable us to launch a new education programme in the Western Cape in January 2016.

For more information visit http://www.sosafrica.com/events.htm?id=45 or contact our Shepton Mallet charity office (01749344197/info@sosafrica.com). Please be aware that we have a limited number of cells, and inmates will be sentenced on a first come first served basis.

It is increasingly believed that modern-day companies have a responsibility to be good corporate citizens and where possible, help communities less fortunate than themselves. The charitable donations made by businesses undoubtedly deliver an invaluable source of income for the non-profit sector. However, it is our belief that the corporate charitable giving which results from this social conscience should not go unrewarded and that businesses themselves can and should benefit from the process. SOS Africa has therefore developed a business sponsorship scheme which can be tailored to the needs of your company whilst benefiting the children we support…

Corporate Child Sponsorship

JooMo Ltd contacted SOS Africa to offer their support in August 2012. They were on the cusp of launching a 100% natural face wash product and wanted to empower an African child through education simultaneously. After working closely with SOS Africa on a marketing strategy, in September they launched their product and donated 50p to SOS Africa for each tube sold. Nearly 3 years on, their product is selling well and they have been singlehandedly responsible for the education of SOS Africa's Nthabiseng.

Employee Sponsor Scheme

The CEO of London based experiential agency, Kreate contacted SOS Africa in November 2014. To celebrate the company's 20thbirthday, they wanted to establish an Employee Benefit Scheme whereby Kreate would fund the education of 20 SOS Africa children on behalf of their 20 staff. Consequently, each staff member would receive regular updates on the progress of child being supported.

Monthly Business Donations

In July 2012 SOS Africa embarked on a fundraising partnership with locally based recruitment company, Roadhogs. In this instance, they generously agreed that for all of the hours of relief work provided by Roadhogs to pig farmers across Somerset, a percentage donation would be made to SOS Africa on a monthly basis. This contribution has enabled SOS Africa to further increase the numbers of children supported by its education programme.

In recent months, SOS Africa was contacted by US based ethical clothing company "Just No Logo" and asked if we could develop a specific sponsorship package enabling them to contribute towards the school clothing of our children in South Africa. Within a few weeks the "Raise the Ordinary to Extraordinary" campaign was launched to promote a new line of "Just No Logo" clothing and invaluable funds have already been raised for the charity's clothing budget.

As each of the above examples demonstrate, SOS Africa's hands-on, personal approach to fundraising enables us to tailor specific business sponsorship schemes to meet the demands of potential corporate sponsors. If your business is looking to support a charity as part of an effective marketing initiative visit our website or contact us today.

London based experiential agency Kreate made the headlines today as they announced their sponsorship of 20 underprivileged African children through the SOS Africa Charity from January 2015. Kreate is in the business of event staffing and campaign planning and was Winner of the IPM Experiential Supplier, Staffing Agency & Company of the Year awards from 2012 to 2014. They recently decided that the best way to celebrate their 20th anniversary was to reach out globally, just like some of their marketing campaigns, and get involved in the fight against poverty in Africa.

This act of generosity has enabled SOS Africa to increase the number of children supported by its education programme to 39 this January. In return for their support, each of the company's employees will receive regular updates on the progress of the children they are empowering through education.

Kreate's CEO Steve Evans approached SOS Africa offering the company's support last year: "To commemorate our 20th year, I thought we could support 20 children through school in Africa. At Kreate we put a great emphasis on training and education across our Head Office staff and Brand Ambassador teams. And 100% of SOS Africa's donations go directly to educating children who would otherwise not be able to go to school at all. At our current level of business, every staff day booked through Kreate sends one African child to school for a day. We plan to reach 30 children by the end of 2015."

SOS Africa co-founder Matt Crowcombe is delighted by the opportunities the new partnership will offer the charity's children: "We can't thank Steve and his team enough for their hard work and dedication which has enabled us to significantly expand our scope of support to help more of the country's most needy children. We look forward to sharing the consequent success stories with the people who have made them possible."

After our most successful year of fundraising to date, thanks to the invaluable support of a growing number of sponsors from around the world, this January SOS Africa was able to introduce an additional 8 children to its education programme in the Western Cape taking the total number of children supported by the charity since 2003 to 39.

"It seems amazing that the project only started 18 months ago with Nasiphi and Michlene and now we have a full house. It was wonderful to greet the children again after the long holiday and receive such warm hugs and big smiles from them all." Anna Lusty, Western Cape Project Manager

We are delighted to welcome Benecia, Britney, Janco, Kayd, Nathan and Raynick into Grade 1 at Grabouw Primary School. Instantly accepted by the other SOS children at our Aftercare Club, they have all settled in well at school and we all are very excited to see how they will progress with all of the support now available to them.

Shortly before the start of term we were approached by staff from Grabouw Primary and asked if we would consider adding 2 additional children to our 2015 intake. Andrew and Kay-Leigh had recently lost their mother and were in desperate need of help both in terms of education and emotional support. They are two very special kids who have shown commitment to attending school and learning despite their difficult circumstances. We therefore launched an online appeal to find sponsors for these two deserving children. Within days, their prayers were answered and we were delighted to include them within our programme.

It is also our pleasure to welcome three new staff members to our Grabouw Aftercare Club. Our Club Manager Madeleine has been joined by her new assistant Erika. We have also recruited Tamelin and Julese as part of our new internship scheme. This scheme will recruit two graduates from Grabouw High School each year to support our staff whilst gaining invaluable work experience.

We are also pleased to report that all 11 of our existing children achieved excellent results last year and have been promoted to their next grades! We are so proud of all of these wonderful children; they are a constant source of inspiration for everyone involved in our programme:

"I do not have children of my own, so I see the SOS Africa children as my own. Seeing their happy faces running towards the classroom each day, keeps me inspired to give them all I have to give." Madeleine Seaward, Aftercare Manager

Have you ever abseiled from the height of 52 sheep… Could you form a team of "Tenacious Turkeys" or "Comical Camels"… Well now is your chance!

This December, for one weekend only, intrepid teams from sports clubs, schools, universities and businesses both big and small, will be heading to Swansea's Civic Centre in their droves. But this time, instead of applying for parking permits or seeking assistance with student finance or planning, they will courageously abseil from the building's 120ft peak dressed as their favourite festive characters!

Why, might you ask, would they consider participating in such a daring act? The answer is very simple; when each team of 6 reaches their £600 fundraising target (£100 per person), they will fund the complete education and care of a child in Africa for 12 months and change their fortunes in the New Year!

Brought to you by SOS Africa and the Swansea Siavonga Partnership, two African education charities founded with the support of the Swansea community, the event takes place on the weekend of the 6th/7th December from 9am to 4pm and will be a memorable addition to your festive calendar!

And if that isn't motivation enough, if you are at the top of our fundraising leader board by 6pm on Sunday 11th January, you will win TWO TICKETS FLIGHT TICKETS TO VISIT ONE OF OUR PROJECTS IN AFRICA!

To enter, all you have to do is email info@sosafrica.com with your team name, team leader's contact details and preferred abseil date/time. We will then provide you with a provisional time slot and sponsorship forms, which will be confirmed once your send in your £15 abseil deposit (per person).

For more information email: info@sosafrica.com or call: 01749344197. You can also visit: http://www.sosafrica.com/swansea-civic-centre-christmas-abseil.htm

So whether you are a team of "daring donkeys" or "not so wise men" you are sure to avoid getting coal in your stocking if you join our event this Christmas and change the fortunes of children in Africa in the New Year.

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06 Nov 2014 19:26:41 GMThttp://www.pressat.co.uk/releases/glastonbury-festivals-pyramid-stage-to-host-sos-africa-charity-abseil-a98de50e63d1323ff22d955dbe716013
http://www.pressat.co.uk/releases/glastonbury-festivals-pyramid-stage-to-host-sos-africa-charity-abseil-a98de50e63d1323ff22d955dbe716013
Monday 28 April, 2014
Michael Eavis and SOS Africa are delighted to announce that one of Britain’s most iconic landmarks will host this year’s SOS Africa Charity Abseil fundraising event. On the weekend of September 20th/21st, Glastonbury Festival’s world famous Pyramid Stage will be transformed into an abseiling extravaganza.

Over the course of the two day fundraising event, thanks to the support of Michael Eavis and the Glastonbury Festival organisers, fundraising teams of six from across the country will tackle their fears; ascend the Pyramid and free-fall abseil from its roof, and all in aid of Somerset’s SOS Africa Charity.

The 100ft, 40 tonne structure - comprising over 4 kilometres of steel tubing - was constructed in 2000. The design was based on Egypt’s Great Pyramids of Giza. The third Pyramid stage since the Festival was founded in 1970, it has hosted some of the world’s leading music artists including Beyonce, Jay Z, Radiohead, REM, Coldplay, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen - the list goes on. During last June’s Glastonbury Festival weekend, this same venue was rocked by the infamous Rolling Stones, during a 3 hour greatest hits performance.

Not only does this give participants the unique opportunity of treading on this same hallowed turf and abseiling from the roof of Glastonbury Festival’s Pyramid Stage, SOS Africa is also inviting abseilers to participate dressed as their favourite bands. So whether you form a team of ‘Dolly’s Daredevils’ or ‘Arcade Adventures’ just make sure you’re not ‘Foolhardy Ferrys’ or ‘Silly Allens!’

All funds raised at this event will support the SOS Africa Charity. SOS Africa is a Somerset-based African education charity. 100% of the funds raised are invested in the education and care of the poorest children from the townships of South Africa (www.sosafrica.com).

And if this isn’t motivation enough, SOS Africa will award the event’s top fundraiser two tickets to South Africa to meet the SOS Africa children!! If you are at the top of our online fundraising leader board by 6pm on Sunday 12th October, you will win this year’s charity fundraising competition.
_______________________

For further information visit:
http://www.sosafrica.com/glastonbury-festival-pyramid-stage-abseil.htm
http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/news/abseil-the-pyramid-stage

To enter a team or individual into the event, contact SOS Africa by email: info@sosafrica.com, or by phone: 01749 344197 (lines open 9am – 5pm, Mon – Fri) with the following information:

• The themed name of your team of six, e.g. “Dollies Daredevils”
• Your preferred abseil date and time - between 9am to 7pm on the 20th/21st September.
• Send us a £10 entry fee per person (Cheques to ‘SOS Africa’, 21 High Street, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, BA4 5AA.)

Please carry out the above as soon as possible – times will be allotted on a ‘first come first served basis.’ Participants must be 8 years of age or older - if under the age of 18, a parent/guardian must be present. SOS Africa will then send you your event fundraising pack and confirm your abseil time. We would kindly ask all participants to aim to raise £200 each or £1000 per team.

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28 Apr 2014 08:51:27 GMThttp://www.pressat.co.uk/releases/an-occasion-to-be-cherished-sos-africa-launches-education-programme-in-the-western-cape-0150bd5e312552db833041adc075426a
http://www.pressat.co.uk/releases/an-occasion-to-be-cherished-sos-africa-launches-education-programme-in-the-western-cape-0150bd5e312552db833041adc075426a
Monday 20 January, 2014
I have had the privilege to work on your project for the last year from it's very conception in the Western Cape early in 2013 and it was with such pride and humility that I stood at Grabouw Primary school on Wednesday to welcome all ten children to their first day of school. It has been such an honour to orchestrate this amazing opportunity for them and their families.

As we all know starting school is a big step for any child but for eight six year old's from Pineview, the day marked an even bigger occasion. Their backgrounds are ones of disadvantage and poverty, immersed daily in a struggling community. Each child had been selected by SOS Africa as showing great potential coupled with an eagerness to learn and a great attendance record during their pre-school year.

SOS has committed to educate them through the next 12 years at a school outside their community but close to their informal settlement. Grabouw Primary School has a very good reputation with excellent results and has embraced the opportunity to include these children at their school.

One of the most rewarding things about being involved in an organisation such as SOS, is seeing how the children (and their families) respond to opportunities such as this. The children rarely disappoint you and it was wonderful to watch their excitement grow as they tried on their new uniforms and received their stationery kits the day before school started. So many children take these things for granted but a new item of clothing or pair of shoes for many children in South Africa is an occasion to be cherished.

First day of school and the children arrived by themselves in transport organised and sponsored by SOS, and I was delighted to see that some of the parents also arrived by their own means to see their children into their new classrooms. The children were welcomed by Prefects from Grade 12 (Grabouw High School students), who were both warm and reassuring. The classrooms proved to be a little overwhelming for some of them but I managed to get them all seated, as the parents were also a little shy and hung back. For these parents, education was a luxury when they were young and most of them have had very little in terms of schooling years.

We left at the teacher's request after making sure that they were settled in their respective classrooms. The parents that were there, thanked me and SOS profusely for this wonderful opportunity for their children and I received warm hugs and kisses from all of them! There is no comparison between the level of education that they will receive at Grabouw compared to the community school that they would have attended. These schools are over subscribed, under staffed and very poorly resourced. The parents were so proud of their children and full of appreciation and emotion for everything that SOS and the sponsors are doing for them.

The children were picked up from school at 1.30pm and dropped at the After School Club centre in Pineview. Ami from Agape (who is working in partnership with SOS and lives in the community) reported back that they had all had a wonderful day and were full of excitement. As from next week, the children will be provided with food and a drink on arrival at the club and then will be doing their homework under supervision. The club will be run by two girls, who have educare training. The day will end at 4pm when they will be taken home. The after school club is vital in terms of making sure that the children keep with the level of education provided by the school. Homework would be very difficult for the children to do at home due to the environment they live in.

A great big thank you from all of us here to the sponsors who have made this possible, to the trustees for their support and everybody involved in the organisation.

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20 Jan 2014 08:44:18 GMThttp://www.pressat.co.uk/releases/out-of-africa-new-years-eve-party-cheese-grain-frome-dfa5a2f6547c0c8cbea9cef5f6c35ddd
http://www.pressat.co.uk/releases/out-of-africa-new-years-eve-party-cheese-grain-frome-dfa5a2f6547c0c8cbea9cef5f6c35ddd
Tuesday 31 December, 2013
Local African charities from Frome and Shepton Mallet have combined forces to make your New Year’s Eve celebrations truly memorable. SOS Africa and Mama Upendo’s Children’s Trust have teamed up to host an African themed party for all the family. You are all invited to join us for an evening brimming with upbeat music, delicious food and great company.

Held at the Cheese and Grain in Frome from 7pm to 12:30pm on 31st December 2013, this unforgettable night will be alive with all things African. Beginning with a feast of traditional food cooked by Sarah Hillman herself, founder of Mama Upendo Charity and winner of Channel 4’s ‘Come Dine with Me,’ followed by a live performance from ‘Congo Soukous Beats’ and support acts, ‘Twin Thing’ and ‘Kisella,’ - providing the rhythm to get us all dancing into the night. A bar is available and guests are also permitted to bring one bottle of wine per table.

We’ve even got exciting activities planned for the children to ensure that everyone has a great night! This is set to be a brilliant party and is a great opportunity for you and your families to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a bang whilst helping to raise vital funds for the SOS Africa Charity Children in South Africa and Mama Upendo’s Charity orphanage in Kenya. We can’t wait to celebrate the start of 2014 with you!

For more information visit: http://www.sosafrica.com/events.htm?id=42

Tickets are available to purchase from the 1st November from the
SOS Africa Shop (21 High Street, Shepton Mallet, BA45AA / 01749344197)
or from Cheese and Grain Box Office (01373455420)

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31 Dec 2013 10:48:04 GMThttp://www.pressat.co.uk/releases/fundraising-successes-enable-sos-africa-to-expand-support-to-the-western-cape-7b9a0543b3d12329620dde60a89b78ba
http://www.pressat.co.uk/releases/fundraising-successes-enable-sos-africa-to-expand-support-to-the-western-cape-7b9a0543b3d12329620dde60a89b78ba
Thursday 14 November, 2013
It all began as a small initiative aimed at making a big difference to the life of a young African child with big dreams but few opportunities. Little did we know that the seeds sown by this small act of kindness would soon grow into a project which would provide education and care for a significant number of African township children, supported by sponsors from across the world. Ten years since its creation, this year the SOS Africa Charity has reached another significant landmark; over the coming months we will expand our scope of support from Mafikeng, our birthplace, to reach out to children from one of the poorest regions of the Western Cape: http://www.sosafrica.com/news.htm?id=265.

This development has been made possible by the incredible backing the charity has received both locally at its fundraising headquarters in Somerset, England and thanks to our growing international support base. During our most recent fundraising event, a sponsored Zip Wire from the top of Cranmore Tower, 300 brave individuals from across Somerset raised an incredible £16,000 for the SOS Africa Children. Since it opened in April this year, SOS Africa’s charity shop, known locally as ‘the shop with the Giraffe’ has raised enough money to pay for over 80 years of education! Internationally, the charity has generated 36 long-term sponsors from across all five continents. From sponsored full-body waxes to Kilimanjaro climbs, independent fundraisers have also generated invaluable funding!

As a consequence of this invaluable support, in addition to the many children already supported in Mafikeng, in January 2014 in partnership with ‘Agape,’ an organisation which has been working in the community for over 20 years, SOS Africa will begin providing education and care for 10 deserving children from the Western Cape region. These children will attend Grabouw Primary and High School, in class sizes of only twenty, which will give them the opportunity to reach their full potential. After school these children will attend an SOS Africa Aftercare Centre where they will receive a meal, mentoring and homework support.

This initiative will be led by Western Cape resident and the latest edition to the SOS Africa team, Anna Lusty: “Starting SOS Africa in the Western Cape has been a real adventure and it has been wonderful to be involved with such a professional organisation. Selecting the first children to take part in the programme has not been an easy task but we now have ten wonderful children under the SOS umbrella and we are excited to see how they blossom and grow over the next few years at their new school. SOS Africa is giving them the opportunity to break free from the poverty cycle through education.”

For those of us who have been lucky enough to be part of SOS Africa Charity since its birth, we are delighted by this recent development. Ultimately it is our long-term aim to be able to establish pockets of support to provide education to children from Africa’s poorest regions. If you are interested in sponsoring a child in Africa, we are currently looking for both full-time and part-time sponsors for the latest editions to our ever-expanding SOS Africa family in the Western Cape.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of the charity’s development for enabling us to reach this landmark – your generosity makes the seemingly impossible possible; for both the charity and its children, big dreams can now be realised.